Ocean City Beach

Ocean City, New Jersey self-proclaims itself "America's Greatest Family Resort" — and for generations of mid-Atlantic families, the claim is entirely legitimate. Founded in 1879 as a Methodist camp meeting site, Ocean City has been alcohol-free (dry) since its founding, a policy maintained by referendum that fundamentally shapes its character: quieter, more family-oriented, and free of the bar-heavy boardwalk culture found elsewhere on the Jersey Shore. The result is a beach town where front porches see use, ice cream shops outperform bars, and the 2.5-mile boardwalk feels genuinely wholesome.

The beach itself spans 8 miles of barrier island, from Corson's Inlet State Park in the south to Asbury Avenue in the north — among the longest and most consistently beautiful stretches of beach on the Jersey Shore. Ocean City's beach replenishment program has maintained wide, high-quality sandy beaches even as nearby communities have lost significant sand. The boardwalk Music Pier hosts free summer concerts and is one of the most architecturally gracious seaside structures on the East Coast.

Memorial Weekend traditionally marks the start of "South Jersey summer" with the famous Night in Venice boat parade on the back bay. The city's fall season extends into October with the popular Doo Dah Parade and disc golf championships. Unlike more seasonal shore towns, Ocean City maintains a year-round residential community of about 11,000 people that gives it a genuine small-town character outside of summer.